Nia Noteva

The process of aging leaves traces. The process of altering a building attempts to not only preserve and respect the fabric of a building but also looks to preserve and build upon the past, to manifest and develop a new presence and meaning for the building whilst satisfying present and future conditions.
This research examines how an existing fabric of the Belgium city of Mons can be re-read and remodelled in a way where the final outcome clearly shows invention and continuity with the past, respecting the existing forms, layers, special organisation, materiality and history of the place. The thesis is based upon an understanding of the theoretical method applied and the interpretation and adaption of the new building employed by the designer. It analysis and explains the relationship between the existing building and the new elements of the remodelling.
The thesis proposal for an urban site at the historical heart of the city, redefines the existing and historical language through investigating the typology and architectural palimpsest of the site. The result of the exploration acquires a representational meaning that is transcribed into the proposed adaptation of the existing urban fabric. It is a conclusion which mediates between the requirements of urban continuity and the reality of construction and function of a building in its Architectural context.